This Is A Marathon
We are now in week 4 of the Quarantine of 2020 and it looks like it’s going to be an emotional, physical, and spiritual marathon. Marathons are long and grueling races. This one is particularly difficult because there is so much uncertainty. We don’t even know where the finish line is. Some of us (especially if we don’t have kids in school) can even become a bit uncertain about what day it is. Margie received a text from a friend that pointed out that traditional names for days of the week have been exchanged for “this day, that day, the other day, someday, yesterday, today, and next day”. Obviously a bit of an overstatement, but there is some truth in it.
Margie and I participated in a marathon many years ago (it wasn’t pretty but we made it). One of the things I learned during that whole process was that you have to monitor how are doing all during the race. Are you going the right pace, how is your body holding up, etc.? With that in mind, it seemed a good time to check in with ourselves. How am I doing in this COVID-19 marathon?
Am I managing my emotions okay? Am I become more anxious, irritable, short tempered, discouraged, passive, etc. Am I experiencing sleep or appetite disturbance, etc.? Am I less motivated? Is the isolation getting to me? How about the financial pressure? Am I maintaining (to the best of my ability) my relationship with God? It is probably unrealistic to being “doing great” during these times, but are we managing things in a stable manner? If you aren’t sure about these types of things, check in with your spouse or someone who knows you well.
In a regular marathon, one doesn’t have to finish. You can stop if you need to. However, we need to finish the particular marathon we are in now.
If you are beginning to face some of this—deal with it now. Don’t wait until it becomes worse and more complicated. Along with some of the things discussed over the past weeks, here are some things I would encourage you to do.
Talk with Someone
Talk with someone who can help sort this out. This might be a friend who knows you well and will be honest with you. Someone who can help you “process” all of this. Someone who will pray for you and support you as well as challenge you. There is no shame in being overwhelmed by what is going on. You are obviously welcome to call the church staff listed below. We would be delighted to be supportive in any way we can. If this isn’t helpful, we can help find a Christian therapist (for you or your kids if need be).
Talk with Your Physician
Be open to medication intervention. Some of the medications have proven to be very helpful. Some Christians believe that one should be able to pray these things away. I would never say God couldn’t lift someone out these struggles, but He also uses other means (medication, counseling, etc.)
Here’s a metaphor that has been helpful for me. Hitting a baseball solidly is one of the most difficult things to do in sports. If a player can get three hits for every 10 at bats, he is considered to be an excellent hitter. It is also important to note that the hitter gets three attempts (strikes) to get a hit. If one is battling some of the issues mentioned above, it is comparable to trying to get a hit while you only have one strike to work with. A difficult task becomes even more difficult. The medication is not magic, but it should get you to the plate with all three strikes to work with. You still have to “get the hit” or more effectively deal with the issues described above.
This Will End
Also, remember that there is a finish line. We might not know exactly where or when it is right now but it is there and through the grace of God, we will get there. The writer of Hebrews issues a great challenge for times such as this—“And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.”
We have to live in the present and pay attention to what is going on around us. However, when in doubt, don’t forget to keep your eyes on Jesus.
Feel free to call one of our staff is there is something we can do or just to talk. Their cell phone numbers are below.
The Peace of Christ be upon you,
Joe Scruggs